Terra (Kingdom Hearts)
is a fictional character from Square Enix's video game franchise Kingdom Hearts, prominently featured in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep as one of the game's three playable protagonists. He appears in-game as a pupil of Master Eraqus who trains alongside his friends Aqua and Ventus to become a master of the Keyblade weapon. Terra's storyline highlights his struggle to tame his inner darkness, a negative attribute that serves as a source of both power and corruption for him. Prior to Birth by Sleep, he had a cameo appearance in a secret ending of Kingdom Hearts II and its re-release Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix; the later game included an optional boss fight against the , a hollow armor containing Terra's mind. Series director Tetsuya Nomura designed Terra's character when preparing the secret endings of Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. He was developed to be reminiscent of series antagonist Xehanort as he appears in previous titles, as well as having a connection with Riku, one of the series' main characters. Ryōtarō Okiayu has done the voice of Terra in Japanese and Jason Dohring in the English version. Video game publications gave mixed responses to Terra's character, with many noting his similarity to the Final Fantasy VII character Zack Fair, and later commenting on his naive portrayal in Birth by Sleep. Creation and development Although Terra, Ventus and Aqua first appeared in the secret ending of Kingdom Hearts II wearing armor, director Tetsuya Nomura still had not designed their final look, having only thought about their story. Despite not revealing their identities, Nomura still said that they are characters from the past from the Kingdom Hearts series. Following the release of the Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, Nomura revealed a connection between them and the game's villain Xemnas, but wanted to leave it up to people's imaginations as he still could not reveal their identities. Terra's face was first shown in the 2006 Tokyo Game Show in which he was described as an avenger against Xehanort. Nomura also confirmed that the Lingering Will was connected with Terra. He also stated that his name, meaning "earth" from Latin, follows the "land" theme Riku represents, as well as connecting him with the other main characters' names from the series. In October 2007, Nomura was asked if the Lingering Will was actually Terra due to their similarities, but he responded it was still uncertain. When asked about the Will's true nature after being revealed to contain Terra's memories, Nomura stated it was not a Heartless. Nomura expressed that the fans liked the inclusion of the Will's battle due to his challenging difficulty, which led the staff to design another hard boss character for Birth by Sleep. Out of the three protagonists from Birth by Sleep, Terra's design was the only one Nomura decided on from the start, with Nomura stating Terra would be designed younger than shown in previous games. Japanese-inspired designs were incorporated into Terra's outfit based on the "master and apprentice" relationship featured in the game. Nomura had troubles designing Terra's, Ventus's and Aqua's armors due how they would be able to summon them. Therefore, an "X" was added to their clothes as a means of activating the armors as well as due to the fact it was one of the game's keywords. Ever since development of Birth by Sleep started, the staff already decided that the three stories would be told in separate scenarios, with Terra's story being the first one written. Nomura wrote Terra's conversation with Riku early on development, wishing to explain the reason for Riku's ability to use the Keyblade, and he requested the staff in charge to make it into the game. The staff also wanted to emphasize the lack of coincidences in the series, leading to the characters' interaction between the three scenarios. Nomura recommended players to first play as Terra in Birth by Sleep in order to understand the story better. Terra's gameplay was also described by Nomura as "heavy" in comparison to Ventus's and Aqua's. To expand the connection between Terra and Riku, scenes foreshadowing future events involving Riku from Terra's perspective were added to the game, though Nomura has stated that these scenes are not of a precognitive nature. Nomura expects that in future games, the connection between both of them would be expanded. Ryōtarō Okiayu was chosen as Terra's Japanese voice actor as the staff wanted an actor who sounded similar to Chikao Ōtsuka, Xehanort's original voice actor, and Akio Ōtsuka, Xehanort's current voice actor who also voiced the villain while using Terra's body. The staff found Chikao's was a dry sort of voice, Akio's a deep, resonating sort of voice, and liked how Okiayu bore elements from both actors. Story Before Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Terra spent his days as a Keyblade apprentice training under Eraqus at the Land of Departure, along with his friend, Aqua. Terra's long-time dream was to become a Keyblade Master. One day during training, Master Xehanort visited the Land of Departure, bringing with him a near-catatonic Ventus, in order to ask Eraqus to take care of the boy and train him as a Keyblade wielder. Terra greeted Ven and he and Aqua introduced themselves, but when Terra started asking him questions about himself, Ven collapsed with a cry of agony. Eraqus explained to Terra that Ventus had lost his memories. Ventus woke up a few days later. Ventus later began training with Terra and Aqua, becoming fast friends with them, and Terra often sparred with Ventus. After one long day of training, Terra told Ven and Aqua about his dream of being a Keyblade Master and gave Ven his wooden Keyblade to use instead of Ven's Wooden Sword, saying that he, Ven, and Aqua, all carry the same dream. ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'' Four years after Ven's arrival, Terra and Aqua take the Mark of Mastery exam in order to become Masters, but while Aqua passes, Terra does not, as he is unable to control his darkness. Unbeknownst to them, Master Xehanort is responsible for Terra's darkness flaring up during the exam. Surprised and depressed to learn that he holds darkness in his heart, Terra steps outside, where he is approached by Master Xehanort, who tells Terra that he shouldn't try to control his darkness, but rather, to channel it. Shortly after, Terra and Aqua are sent on a quest to find the missing Master Xehanort and stop the threat of the Unversed, and Eraqus tells Terra he has a second chance to prove himself worthy of being named a Keyblade Master. In the meantime, Eraqus has Aqua follow Terra, to bring him back if he is tempted by darkness. Throughout his journey, Terra encounters many villains in the worlds he visits (although because of Terra's inexperience, he doesn't immediately realize they are villains). Maleficent takes a particular interest in him, having been alerted of his arrival in the Enchanted Dominion by Xehanort. She uses the darkness in his heart to put him into a trance, to make him steal the heart of the sleeping Princess Aurora. This encounter would haunt Terra for the rest of his journey. However, Terra did have some positive outcomes in his search. The Magic Mirror in Dwarf Woodlands revealed Master Xehanort was at a place where a great battle took place; he also learned from the Grand Duke of Castle of Dreams that the Unversed were being commanded by a boy in a mask. Terra seeks Yen Sid's wisdom to divine an answer to both these mysteries. Yen Sid tells him to treat Master Xehanort's disappearance as linked to the Unversed. Master Xehanort summons Terra to the Keyblade Graveyard, where he tells him the masked boy Vanitas is actually the personification of the darkness that had once been in Ven's heart; according to Xehanort, he pulled the darkness out of Ven when it threatened to consume him. Vanitas escaped confinement and spread his darkness in the form of the Unversed throughout the worlds to disrupt and destroy the light. Master Xehanort suggests searching the City of Light, Radiant Garden, as it would be Vanitas's most likely target. After arriving in Radiant Garden, Terra sees Master Xehanort heading toward the Castle Town and follows him. However, he is distracted by seeing Merlin drop a book: Winnie the Pooh; Terra returns it to him, learning it has the power to awaken his inner strength. Upon leaving, Terra spots a giant Unversed; going after it, Terra ends up reuniting with Ven and Aqua. The three of them battle the Trinity Armor and defeat it, and Ven gives both his friends lifetime passes to Disney Town. Terra is shocked to hear Ven met his other half, and that Aqua has been keeping an eye on him on Master Eraqus's orders. Feeling betrayed by Aqua and wanting to keep Ven safe, Terra takes off on his own. After leaving his friends, Terra encounters Braig, who claims to be holding Master Xehanort hostage under the Outer Gardens and demands Terra meet him there. Though it would be highly unlikely that a normal person could take a Keyblade Master hostage, Terra decides to check out the claim as a precaution. Terra arrives at the Purification Facility to see Master Xehanort chained to a column, and Braig challenges Terra to a fight, saying he wants a Keyblade for himself. With encouragement from Master Xehanort, Terra suddenly channels his darkness and scars Braig's face, driving him off. A second blast frees Xehanort, but Terra is dismayed that he failed to keep his darkness in check. Master Xehanort assures him that he channeled the darkness in his heart, and that using it a a true step forward. He further explains that the lights of Terra's fellow pupils shine too bright, thus casting shadows on his heart. Master Xehanort says that the reason that Eraqus did not grant Terra the title of Master is because he is afraid of the power of darkness; in Terra the power is strong, and Eraqus fears darkness so much because he has succumbed to light. Xehanort asks Terra to join him as his pupil so they may bring balance between light and darkness, and he tells him to see more worlds to find and destroy Vanitas. As Terra prepares to leave Radiant Garden, Ventus catches up with him, asking to come along. Terra turns him down, but he tells him that he knows Ventus will be there for him when he needs him. In Disney Town, Terra races against Captain Dark in the Rumble Races to take out Unversed. Winning, Terra learns that he doesn't need to bend or break the rules to accomplish a task. He also wins the Million Dreams Award. Terra arrives in Olympus Coliseum, where he encounters Hades, who is looking for a powerful warrior he can manipulate and set against Zeus. He convinces Terra to enter the Games in order to learn how to conquer his darkness. When Terra clears the first rounds without trouble, Hades uses darkness to take control of Zack, who faces Terra in the next match. Terra defeats Zack, releasing him from Hades's control, and Zack calls Terra a hero. After falling into Galactic Federation custody in Deep Space, Terra escapes with Dr. Jumba and helps him free Experiment 626. When 626 steals Terra's Wayfinder, he realizes how much his bond with Aqua and Ventus means to him, and he encourages 626 to learn for himself what friendship is. Terra also visit Neverland, briefly allying with Captain Gook before teaching the Lost Boys that real treasure is not jewels and gold, but what is really important to them. Some time later, Terra is drawn towards a warm light, which leads him to the Destiny Islands. He finds a Paopu Fruit, which reminds of the legend Aqua told him about the Wayfinders. He sees two young boys, Sora and Riku, and he senses light within Riku. Terra speaks with Riku, who tells him he wants to become strong in order to protect his friends, and he decides to perform a Bequeathing with Riku, allowing him to wield the Keyblade in the future. Terra sees Ven in the Lanes Between, but before Terra can catch up to him, Master Xehanort calls Terra back to the Keyblade Graveyard. Xehanort tells him that Ventus intends to confront Master Eraqus about his past, and that he is in danger. Determined to protect his friend, Terra returns to the Land of Departure in time to defend Ventus from Eraqus's attack. He throws Ven into a portal to the Lanes Between and, channeling his darkness, defeats Eraqus in battle. Although they both regret their actions, Eraqus is suddenly destroyed by Xehanort, who encourages Terra to give himself over to darkness. He tells Terra to come to the Keyblade Graveyard to witness the ends of Ventus and Aqua, then unleashes a flood of darkness which ravages the world. Terra watches his world crumble into ruins and looks at his Wayfinder, vowing to Ventus and Aqua that he won't let Xehanort kill them. He leaves the Land of Departure as it is being destroyed, but he turns back and picks up a disturbance coming from the ruins. A cloaked figure appears and almost immediately challenges Terra to battle. Terra defeats the mysterious figure, who remains silent and gives no explanation for its hostility. It simply vanishes. After arriving at the Keyblade Graveyard, Terra reunites with Aqua and Ventus. Terra explains what happened to their master and admits that he did have to be watched, vowing never to go astray again. However, Aqua warns him that darkness is based on hatred and rage, and that if Terra had come for revenge, then Xehanort has already won. Xehanort arrives with Vanitas, and he declares his intention to create the χ-blade. In the ensuing fight with Master Xehanort and Vanitas, Terra succumbs to his darkness once more and battles the elderly master. Although he prevails, the χ-blade is forged, and Master Xehanort uses his Keyblade to extract his own heart and implant it in Terra's body, possessing it. However, Terra's Lingering Will inhabits his discarded Keyblade Armor, challenges Terra-Xehanort, and defeats him. Terra-Xehanort disappears in the light emanating from the χ-blade as it is destroyed by Ventus and Aqua, while the Lingering Will remains, declaring Terra's promise to Ventus and Aqua to set things right. After Aqua defeats Terra-Xehanort in Radiant Garden, Terra's heart resists Xehanort, forcing Xehanort to lock his heart, leading to his amnesia.Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Final Episode: "In a desparate move to rid himself of Terra once and for all, Xehanort turned his own Keyblade on himself, and began to sink into the pool of darkness that spilled forth." Even after this, Terra and Master Xehanort's hearts continue their conflict inside Terra-Xehanort's body, disputing over who will control it. Terra declares to Xehanort that he no longer fears the darkness and vows to continue resisting Xehanort, who realizes Eraqus's presence in Terra's heart. However, Master Xehanort tells Terra that he has many plans in place, even if their conflict continues for a very long time. Between Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts A vision of Terra appears to Aqua after she defeats the Demon Tower in the remains of the Castle of Dreams. She questions if he, too, has been trapped in the Realm of Darkness, but he simply fades away, causing her to wonder if she has started going insane. Later, in the remains of Enchanted Dominion, Aqua encounters phantoms of Terra and Ventus, pursuing them through the Forest of Thorns. When she catches up with them, Terra asks Aqua if she can see him. Aqua mentions she can, along with Ventus, but Terra is unable to see Ventus. Questioning where he is, Aqua tells him the worlds fell, and she is unsure if he is the real Terra. Terra insists he is, but also claims that he is not himself and that her heart is painting him the way she remembers him. He explains that his heart is tied to the darkness and that that the Ventus beside him must be an illusion created by her heart. Aqua wonders if this means Ventus and Terra are safe on the outside world, and while Terra thinks so, he warns her that Xehanort is looking for Ventus. As she explains that she has hidden Ventus somewhere where no one will find him, Terra's spirit transforms into Terra-Xehanort. Terra-Xehanort wonders if Ventus is in the Chamber of Waking and, when questioned by Aqua, begins to reveal his identity.''Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-'', Terra-Xehanort: "You don't know? My name-" However, Terra overpowers Xehanort's will, informing her of Xehanort's ruse. Surprised, Xehanort summons dark hands to drag Aqua into darkness, but an enraged Terra summons chains of light to fend off Xehanort. ''Kingdom Hearts coded'' When Data-Naminé gives Data-Sora the extra memories that were implanted in Jiminy's Journal, an image of Terra appears, along with images of Aqua and Ventus. She tells him that Terra is among those that Sora must save from their hurt. Later, King Mickey and Yen Sid speak about their search for Terra, Aqua, and Ven, and how only Terra's location remains unknown. ''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance'' When Sora arrives at The World That Never Was, he is caught by the Organization and placed within a nightmare in which he chases after memories of Riku and Kairi. When he catches up to them at the Nightmarish Abyss, the phantoms suddenly take the form of Terra and Aqua, while Sora himself takes on Ventus's appearance. Sora is confused, but the phantoms grasp his hand before turning back into Riku and Kairi and walking off again. As Riku attempts to wake Sora on his own side of the dream, Sora recalls when Aqua came to Destiny Islands, and nearly wakes up. However, Ansem appears within Sora's dream at the last second and thrusts him back into the nightmare. Xigbar and Xemnas reappear within the nightmare to taunt him and lead him into despair by explaining the inevitability of their plan and playing on his insecurities, but a defiant Sora proclaims that while he may not have been chosen by the Keyblade, he will always be proud to be there for his friends, including Terra and all the others. Shortly after, Ansem attacks Riku in an attempt to take over Riku's body again. Before they fight, Riku reveals to Ansem that he reminds him of Terra and thus resolves to make Ansem a part of his light. Later, as Master Xehanort explains his plans to Mickey in Where Nothing Gathers, he reveals Terra's past fate as his vessel, but neglects to mention anything further about him. ''Kingdom Hearts III'' After Sora, Aqua and Ventus fight Terra-Xehanort in the Keyblade Graveyard, he captures the trio using manifested chains of their bonds and prepares to do away with Aqua and Ventus, Xehanort's guardian appears and saves the duo. The guardian proceeds to break the chains binding them and puts the unconscious Aqua and Ventus safely on the ground. The guardian swiftly restrains the astonished Terra-Xehanort, rips the bandages over its mouth and speaks, revealing Terra's heart has been residing inside the Heartless. Sora seizes the opportunity and forces Xehanort's heart from Terra's body with the power of the Keyblade and Terra releases his heart from the guardian, finally reuniting with his body. Now whole again, Terra reunites with Aqua and Ventus, expressing his gratitude for them never giving up on him, and the trio tearfully embraces. They take time to recuperate before racing to Sora's side to aid in the final battle. Later, in Scala ad Caelum, after Sora defeats Master Xehanort, Terra greets the old Master and reveals that Master Eraqus's heart resides inside him. Master Eraqus makes his peace with Aqua and Ventus, asking Terra to look after them, to which Terra agrees. Later, Terra stands with Aqua and Ventus in the Land of Departure as they pay their respects to Master Eraqus, hanging their Wayfinders on his Keyblade's memorial wreath. Then he calls to Ventus as the latter stops to embrace a wayward Chirithy. Not long afterwards, he is seen on the Destiny Islands, racing with Riku and Roxas as King Mickey and Aqua cheer them on before standing with the others to watch Sora and Kairi at a distance. Other appearances ''Blank Points Terra is seen at the Land of Departure with a sleeping Ventus, waking his friend up before they both utter Sora's name with a sense of renewed hope. ''Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Terra is seen within screenshots of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep that are played during the remix's end credits, foreshadowing Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX. Design According to Tetsuya Nomura, he is approximately 20 years old.Tokyo Game Show 2018 Terra is a tall young man with brown hair that reaches to the base of his neck in the back and is styled into rather messy, vertical spikes and bangs that frame his face. He has blue eyes and slightly tanned skin. Interestingly, he bears a slight resemblance to a young Xehanort, save for the color of his hair, skin, and his eyes, and his appearance is carried on to both Terra-Xehanort and Xemnas, as they are both Terra's body under Master Xehanort's influence. Following his possession by Master Xehanort, his hair turns silvery-white, his eyes turn yellow and his skin becomes much darker. Later on, his eyes turn brown. Like his friends, Terra wears two intersecting straps over his chest, though his red ones are rather different, dropping much lower down and almost resembling criss-crossed suspenders. Also unlike Aqua and Ventus, Terra does not wear his badge (which is gold as opposed to the others' silver) on these straps. Instead, he wears it on his belt. He wears a skintight, black, high-collared shirt, showing that he is rather muscular. Terra's pants bear a distinct feudal Japanese style; his belt is tied like an obi-sash and he wears hakama (traditional samurai pants distinguished by the large pleats). His hakama are dark grey near the top, with several loops for his belt and two buttons, both of which are undone. The rest of the pants are tan with a small, lighter stripe of tan on the bottom hem. Terra wears a plain black wristband on his right arm, while his left arm is significantly more armored. Like Aqua and Ven, Terra wears armor on one arm, with his bearing similarities to both of his companions. Terra's armor shares the large, ornate crest (colored gold) with Ven and the long, segmented section (each segment alternating between dark grey and dark red) with Aqua, though Terra's is much longer, reaching all the way to the bottom of his hand. He also wears a black, fingerless glove on his hand and what appears to be a black gauntlet on his forearm, over the segmented armor, which also has small pieces of dark red armor on it. Finally, his armored boots are dark brown and gold. By touching the armor piece on his arm, Terra becomes fully clad in armor. When in his suit in , Terra is clad from head to toe in armor, mostly in shades of dark brown, gold, and red. Dull orange lines decorate the armor as well. Notable additions to his armor include upturned, sharp red hooks on the backs of his boots, a navy blue cape, and a dark-visored helmet. His helmet sports two tall, red prongs on either side. In Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, his armor is now slimmer, the colors on the armor are much brighter, and the cape is omitted. The dark brown is now shown to be black, as is the visor of his helmet. His name means "Earth" in Latin, similar to Riku's name in Japanese meaning "land". The official Japanese website refers to Terra as the . Personality Beneath Terra's calm and cool exterior hides his willingness to give his life for his friends, as well as his fear of defeat and desire for strength. This yearning therefore leads him to be constantly tempted by the darkness, similarly to Riku. Terra can also be overly trusting, which is something that villains use to take advantage of him, such as his obliviousness to the fact that Master Xehanort is attempting to seduce him into darkness. Because of this influence, he begins to doubt those most special to him, and only realizes his wrongdoings after they occur. Despite his ties to darkness, Terra always holds his bonds with Ventus and Aqua in high esteem, wishing to fight for and help them even long after his possession. Terra-Xehanort, Xemnas and the Lingering Will all demonstrate instances of Terra's faded consciousness acting on Ventus and Aqua's behalf. He also holds Master Eraqus in high regard, viewing him as a surrogate father, crying at his apparent demise and later revealing that Eraqus's influence and strength has "set foot into" his heart, allowing him to resist total possession by Xehanort. Abilities Keyblade and fighting style Terra is the most powerful of the trio in terms of the damage aspect. He uses slow, but very heavy and hard-hitting attacks to decimate his enemies. Terra has a large assortment of s, consisting of heavy attacks, like Ars Solum, Brutal Blast, Windcutter, and Zantetsuken. He can also use some earth based attacks, like Geo Impact and Meteor Crash, as well as dark based attacks, like Dark Haze and Chaos Blade. Two other attacks involve his HP, Limit Storm, which deals more damage with low HP, and Sacrifice, which expends HP for a single, powerful attack. Terra's utilizes his earth element through his exclusive Finish commands, Rising Rock, Dark Star, and his ultimate finisher, Demolition. Another finish command exclusive to him is Random End. Terra's slow attacks can be compensated by using a D-Link with Ventus, which enables him to attack more rapidly. Magic Although not as skilled in magic as his classmate, Aqua, Terra has access to a broad variety of magic spells as well as four spells exclusive to him in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Terra's affinity for earth lets him use the powerful Quake and Meteor spells. In addition, the power of darkness allows him to use the Dark Firaga spell. He can also use Warp, which allows him to potentially wipe an enemy from existence, but will not leave any experience or prizes. Miscellaneous Beside a variety of these abilities usable by all three or two of the protagonists in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Terra has access to three exclusive Command Styles and three exclusive Shotlocks. His first exclusive command style is Critical Impact, which utilizes slow but heavy hits to their maximum. His second style is Rockbreaker, a second level style which uses his earth element and uses powerful, long-ranged ground attacks. His third style is Dark Impulse, a second level Command Style which uses the power of darkness and hits enemies with slow, heavy attacks, but also exhibits long-range projectile attacks. Two of his exclusive Shotlocks utilize dark powers, Sonic Shadow and Dark Volley. His most powerful Shotlock, Ultima Cannon, turns his Keyblade into a giant cannon. Terra has access to Slide, which gives him good distance from his enemy, but it is not quite as reliable as Ventus's Dodge Roll or Aqua's Cartwheel. His Sonic Impact ability can extend from both Slide and Air Slide, allowing him to perform a charge attack mid-slide. D-Link Terra becomes a D-Link for Ventus and Aqua after they receive Aqua's handmade Wayfinders. While in link with Terra, the user can strike with strong physical attacks. Weapons Terra's exclusive Keyblades are primarily based on the earth element, referencing the Latin meaning of his name, and the darkness element, showing his attraction to darkness. The Earthshaker and the Darkgnaw can be seen as his weaker Keyblades, while the Ends of the Earth and the Chaos Ripper can be seen as an upgraded version of each Keyblade, respectively. His exclusive Keyblades are also focused primarily in strength, prominently shown by how the Chaos Ripper has the greatest attack bonus in the entire game. He also used to train using his Wooden Keyblade, which he passed down to Ventus later. His versions of common Keyblades are longer compared to Ventus's and Aqua's. When Terra summons his Keyblade, blocks and rings designed after his default Keyblade appear, revolving around his wrist. File:Wooden Keyblade KHBBS.png|Wooden Keyblade File:Earthshaker KHBBS.png|Earthshaker File:Ends of the Earth KHBBS.png|Ends of the Earth File:Darkgnaw_KHBBS.png|Darkgnaw File:Chaos Ripper KHBBS.png|Chaos Ripper Trivia *In the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Terra is voiced by Ryotaro Okiayu. Tetsuya Nomura has stated in an interview that he cast Okiayu because his voice bore similar elements to both Chikao Otsuka, the voice actor for Master Xehanort, and Akio Otsuka, the voice actor for Xehanort. In the English version, he is voiced by Jason Dohring, who is notable for being the last cast member revealed for the game. *Terra's artwork for Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix mimics his pose from the promotional artwork for the original game. Reception When Terra's character was first revealed, 1UP.com's Jeremy Parish found him to be very similar to Zack Fair from Final Fantasy VII to the point where he wondered whether he would actually be Zack. However, when considering Terra's weapon being a Keyblade in contrast to all the other Final Fantasy characters shown in previous Kingdom Hearts games, he thought he may not be Zack. Amanda L. Kondolojy from Cheat Code Central found there have been various speculations regarding the similarities between Terra and Zack, but thought it would not be strange considering the existence of Nobodies in the series. Selecting Terra for a demo of Birth by Sleep IGN's Ryan Clements agreed with Parish, finding only minor differences between their outfits. Terra's role in Birth by Sleep has received mixed critics with Adam Ghigiino from PALGN criticizing his naive personality when finding the three protagonists unappealing. VideoGamer.com writer Emily Gera stated that players may know little about them due to their role in Kingdom Hearts II, but with Birth by Sleep, players will able to know about them. Writing for GamesRadar, Crhis Antista commented that he did not understand the importance of him and the other characters being briefly featured in Kingdom Hearts II, although it could be explained once the player finishes Birth by Sleep. PlayStation LifeStyle's Thomas Williams found the trio as welcome additions to the franchise, finding their stories enjoyable even though the three travel to the same worlds. X-Play found Terra to be very similar to Riku due to his personality and vulnerability to evil's allure. Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot criticized Jason Dohring's work as Terra's English voice actor, saying he "can't express angst, excitement, sincerity, or any other emotion", affecting the storyline. VanOrd also pointed this out when Terra interacts with Disney characters, finding the latters' voice actors to be "uniformly excellent and absolutely comparable to the original source." Bob Miur from Destructoid compared Terra's storyline with the film Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith due to the struggles he faces, and found that gamers familiar to the series may realize that his fate in the game "won't turn out to be very pretty." Miur also commented on Dohring's work, praising how he makes Terra "tortured and conflicted", but still criticizing the result. UGO Networks listed Terra's Helmet nineteenth on their list of "The Coolest Helmets and Headgear in Video Games", stating "For a minute, but only a minute, the two-horned helmet will get you feeling like the Keyblade is a viable weapon." In a Famitsu poll, Terra was voted as the fifth most popular Kingdom Hearts character. Kimberly Wallace from Game Informer expected Terra, alongside his friends, to appear in Kingdom Hearts III. Notes and references Category:Kingdom Hearts characters Category:Male video game characters Category:Square Enix protagonists Category:Video game bosses Category:Characters designed by Tetsuya Nomura Category:Fictional armor Category:Fictional aviators Category:Fictional bodyguards Category:Fictional empaths Category:Fictional explorers Category:Fictional knights Category:Fictional brainwashing victims Category:Fictional possession victims Category:Fictional characters who can manipulate darkness Category:Fictional characters who can manipulate earth Category:Fictional characters with superhuman strength Category:Fictional characters introduced in 2010